The Villainess Lives Twice: Butterfly's Dream (IF Story) - Chapter 37

Cedric didn’t know Garnet very well, but he clearly remembered how poised and noble she had been in the face of death.  

‘She’ll be a good influence on Tia.’  

No one could show Artizea what a noble lady’s life should be like. Milaira was out of the question, and there was no one reliable among the distant relatives of Marquisate Rosan.  

Cedric himself didn’t have many relatives to speak of. There were no collaterals of Evron, and while there was a connection to the imperial family through his maternal side, the Empress, though an elegant lady, was already a middle-aged noblewoman.  

‘Princess Eloise… no.’  

She was only twenty-one and, unlike the Empress, was far from fitting the mold of a noble lady or aristocrat. The only real role model in this regard would be the Emperor from the next generation.  

Cedric didn’t necessarily want Artizea to become a refined noblewoman, but she needed to know that such a path existed.  

‘It’s also a good opportunity to increase family ties.’  

He didn’t know what motivated Grand Duke Roygar to become one of the Emperor’s pawns, but in this world, he had no need to dive into the succession battle with his life on the line.  

So, perhaps this time, it was possible to truly interact as family. That would be good for Cedric, Artizea, and any children that might come in the future. He often lamented how few close relatives his own children had.  

He wrote a reply suggesting a good date to visit and sent it.  

There were as many advantages as there were inconveniences to having a young body. No one would immediately suspect a political alliance between Evron and Roygar just because an uncle and nephew met.  

* * *    

On the day of her visit to Grand Duke Evron’s residence, Marchioness Luden saw them off at the front of the carriage, looking at her naive daughter with a concerned expression.  

“Please, act like a proper young lady.”  

“Don’t worry, mother. Have you ever seen me make a mistake in etiquette?”  

Although she never made formal mistakes, there were often moments when unnecessary words or blunders typical of an adolescent slipped from her, making Marchioness Luden look at her daughter with a slightly embarrassed expression.  

Garnet, dressed neatly in a white jacket and dark grey woolen dress, looked like a calm young lady to anyone who saw her. However, Marchioness Luden had an inkling of why she insisted on accompanying Grand Duke Roygar.  

‘Since Lord Evron is the talk of the social world lately, I suppose she’s curious to see his face.’

Though Marchioness Luden was her mother, she couldn’t bring herself to believe that Garnet, as young as she was, understood the political concerns and struggles that came with being Grand Duke Roygar’s fiance.  

Similarly, Marchioness Camellia, who had come to see Garnet off, seemed to understand the worry and spoke gently to reassure her.  

“Don’t worry. Both Lord Evron and his fiance are still young. This is just a visit to a relative’s house.”  

“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m relieved…”  

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll go now, mother!”  

Garnet said cheerfully and kissed her worried mother on the cheek. Then, as if it were the most natural thing, she reached out her hand to Grand Duke Roygar. He took her hand, helped her into the carriage, and after bowing politely to Marchioness Luden and Marchioness Camellia, he too got into the carriage.  

* * *

Artizea, hearing that a guest was coming, stood in front of her dressing room, deep in thought with Lysia.  

“I heard from Jessie that Lady Luden is very graceful and elegant.”  

“Really? I’m curious…”  

The servants at the Grand Duke’s residence were also on their toes. It was the first guest since Cedric’s independence, and even though they were relatives, they rarely met. Also, Marquisate Luden was influential in social circles, so there was a certain anticipation.  

The children picked up on the atmosphere.  

Artizea glanced at the pink frilly dress with a serious expression. It seemed the prettiest, but… wearing something so beautiful alone made her feel a little guilty about Lysia.  

Mary, who had followed her to help with dressing, looked equally serious. If it were just meeting a peer, she wouldn’t mind, but today they were meeting Grand Duke Roygar and his fiance. She wanted Artizea to look refined and beautiful.  

She quickly suggested,  

“How about the sky-blue one? It’ll look great with the frilled blouse.”  

“Hmm…”  

“I’ll tie your hair beautifully with a blue ribbon.”  

Mary said desperately.  

Fortunately, the blue ribbon Cedric had given her as a gift was one of Artizea’s treasures, so Mary’s persuasion worked.  

Artizea nodded, and Mary hurried to fetch the blouse and sky-blue dress.  

As she changed into the outfit and brushed her hair, Lysia chatted away beside her.  

“The pink one is prettier.”  

“Yes, I think so too.”  

“But we’re greeting guests. My dad says we shouldn’t focus too much on wearing something too pretty when guests are coming.”  

Mary sighed inside.  

‘Baron Mortan must have had a hard time with that.’

Lysia, who had no idea about the adult’s feelings, cheerfully said,  

“Tomorrow, we’ll have a tea party. We’ll wear our prettiest dresses.”  

“Great! Oh, wait. Can we invite Lord Ced too?”  

“Of course!”  

The two girls were full of excitement. Mary gave a wry smile as she brushed Artizea’s long, beautiful blonde hair.  

The carriage carrying Grand Duke Roygar stopped in front of the main building of the Grand Duke’s residence.  

When the coachman opened the door, Grand Duke Roygar got out and personally escorted Garnet down from the carriage. Cedric was already waiting at the door to greet them.  

“It’s been a while, Cedric. You’ve really grown tall!”  

Grand Duke Roygar said with genuine warmth in his voice. It wasn’t just that Cedric had grown, but he was now tall enough that Cedric’s head was higher than his chin. Grand Duke Roygar, though not short, no longer needed to look down at him.  

“It’s been a while, Uncle.”  

Cedric smiled gently and greeted him. He then turned to Garnet and courteously extended his hand.  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Luden.”  

Garnet, looking a bit dazed, stared at Cedric for a moment before suddenly offering her hand. Cedric kissed the back of her hand politely, his lips never quite touching—just a brief, respectful gesture.  

Garnet blushed slightly and greeted him back, equally polite.  

“It’s nice to meet you, Lord Evron. Now that we are relatives, I regret not having had the chance to meet you sooner.”  

“I was too young and I don’t think Uncle formally introduced us.” 

Cedric said maturely. He then glanced at Grand Duke Roygar, who sighed. He chuckled awkwardly.  

“It’s hard to believe you’ve grown this dignified. The last time we met…”  

He fell silent, not completing the sentence, as Cedric had been climbing the door frame at the time. With Garnet present, it wasn’t the right time to bring it up.  

“I’m sorry.”  

He said sincerely. His apology was heartfelt, so he didn’t specify what exactly. It wasn’t calculated, just a genuine thought from his heart.  

Grand Duke Roygar’s clearest memory of Cedric was from when he was a baby. Back when his sister was still alive, he would hover by the crib, annoyingly asking when the baby would grow up.